1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protection of accommodated items in an accommodating shelf that stores the accommodated items such as cartridges each incorporating recording media such as magnetic recording tapes, by accommodating the items in cells, and more particularly, to a protecting apparatus that protects accommodated items such as a cartridge from falling off and being taken out such as theft, from the accommodating shelf; a protecting method thereof; and a protecting program thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage of recording media such as magnetic recording tapes, requires high level of security such as: prevention of falling off of the recording media due to an earthquake, etc.; and protection from theft such as being taken out without notice of the recording media and from data theft such as being taken out without notice of data of the recording media, etc.
As to the above storage of recording media, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 1981-016875 discloses that a lattice having the same shape as the front shape of a storing cell unit that stores cartridges is disposed on the front of the storing cell unit, this lattice is moved when vibration is generated, and, thereby, falling off of the cartridges are prevented (the claim of the utility model, FIG. 1).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-268550 discloses a cartridge library apparatus having a door that is provided for the main body thereof such that the door can be opened and closed and that is formed with multiple cells that each store a cartridge, wherein, when the door is opened, a shutter covering the opening is provided and the shutter is driven to be opened or closed (the abstract, FIG. 1).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 5-294404 discloses that, as to protection of magnetic tape media accommodated in an accommodating shelf, the accommodating shelf is moved to a fire-proof safe when an operation is finished, a fire-proof door is closed when accommodation of the accommodating shelf is completed, and the fire-proof door is opened and the accommodating shelf is moved from the fire-proof safe to a library unit when the operation is started (the abstract, FIG. 1, etc.).
With the structure described in the above '875 publication, falling off and theft of the cartridges can not be avoided because the cartridge storing cell unit is configured to be fully opened when one cartridge is taken out or stored. With the structure described in the above '550 publication, falling off, etc., of cartridges can not be prevented when the door is not fully opened because the opening formed when the door is fully opened is merely covered with the shutter. According to the above '404 publication, prevention of falling off and being taken out of cartridges from the accommodating shelf can not be facilitated because the accommodating shelf is merely moved to the fire-proof safe.
Various types of vast information processed by computers are backed up and stored by recording media such as magnetic recording tapes corresponding to the amount of information to be handled in addition to on-line disc apparatuses. Recording media such as magnetic recording tapes are handled each being contained in cartridges and are used for data exchange, external storage, etc., by the cartridge. Theft of these cartridges leads to leakage of information stored in the recording media and, therefore, encryption is effective as a measure against the leakage. However, the encryption requires encrypting apparatuses and software, and the apparatuses and the software are expensive. In addition, the encryption also requires processing for encryption.
A cartridge is stored in a storing apparatus such as a library apparatus. However, a measure is necessary to prevent falling off from the accommodating shelf due to an impact of an earthquake, etc. A typical measure can be employment of a holding mechanism that holds a cartridge using a restoring force of a spring. The holding force of the cartridge only has to be strengthened to endure fierce vibration. However, when the holding force is strengthened, the load on a conveying robot becomes heavy such as complication of the control and the mechanism for taking out the cartridge and higher prices thereof.
Another measure can be listed according to which a tongued and grooved structure that corresponds to the cartridge shape is provided instead of the holding mechanism and the cartridges are fixed using this tongued and grooved structure. To take a cartridge out of the fixed state caused by the tongued and grooved structure, control such as raising once the cartridge is necessary and the process procedure for taking out the cartridge for the conveying robot becomes complicated while the control circuit and the mechanism become complicated and expensive and the time necessary for the process for taking out the cartridge becomes long.
The above '875, '550, and '404 publications have no disclosure and no suggestion concerning the above problems and also have no disclosure and no suggestion concerning structures, etc., to solve those problems.